Get Well
by Jessica Wolf
Summary: Haha! I haz originality! 8D Mutt isn't sick, like everyone does. Nope. Not even Indy. MARION gets sick. And Indy and Mutt have to take care of her. Will be long. will involve the two Jones guys bonding while they work together to help Marion get well. :D
1. Chapter one, in which Dr J skips school

Disclaimer: I don't own Mutt, Indy OR Marion. Too bad, so sad. ;_;

**Please review. Please? -puppy eyes-**

_Chapter one: In which Dr. Jones plays hookie_

Mutt rolled over, placing a weary hand over his right ear, trying to block out the voices coming from his parent's room. It had to be at least midnight, probably later. Why couldn't they just _shut up_?

But Mutt sat up as he heard Indy walking past his door.

"Dad?" Mutt called. The footsteps stopped and he heard his door open, just a crack.

"Yeah, kid?"

"What's going on?" Mutt sat up, trying to clear his head.

"Nothing. Go to sleep." The door closed again. Mutt scowled and crawled out of bed, stumbling over to his desk where he turned on the reading lamp. He placed his ear to the wall and he could hear his mother mumbling something from the other room. He tiptoed to his door, his pajamas making a swishing noise as he walked. He hoped Indy wouldn't hear him.

"Mom?" Mutt poked his head into the master bedroom. Marion was lying on the bed, one hand on her forehead and the other dangling over the edge of the bed.

"Mutt, darling, go to bed." Marion murmured, sitting up slightly. "It's just a headache."

"OK." Mutt frowned a little. "You sure?"

"Yes, dear." Marion massaged her forehead with a pale white hand. "Good night."

"OK… love you." Mutt scampered back to his own room as he heard his father returning.

"Here you go. Hold still." He heard Dr. Jones saying. Mutt stayed in the doorway of his room for some time, listening to his parents talking.

"How badly does it hurt? On the scale." His father asked.

"Eight." Marion grumbled. She either said eight or great. Mutt couldn't be sure.

"I'll get some more water."

Mutt jumped into his bed as he heard Indy walk past his door again. The teenager was determined to stay awake until he was sure his mother would be all right, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to get back out of bed. _I'll just listen from here._ He assured himself, though he _knew_ he wouldn't be able to understand his parents from the warmth of his bed.

"You still awake, Henry?" he heard his dad asking, but he didn't answer. After all, he _wasn't_.

*****************

Mutt trotted downstairs, running a comb through his gelled hair with one hand and straightening his collar with the other. It was almost time for him to leave for school. When he arrived in the kitchen he was surprised to see that no one else was awake yet.

There was no breakfast waiting and no father telling him to get a move on.

Mutt poured himself a hasty bowl of cereal before going back upstairs to find out what was with his parents.

He knocked on the master bedroom door cautiously, but there was no answer. He knocked again.

"Come in, dear." Marion answered. Mutt did. His mother was alone in the room, sprawled across the bed, reading the newspaper.

"Where's Dad?" Mutt asked, noticing that Marion had half a piece of cold toast lying on a plate beside her. An empty glass sat on the night stand. It looked like it might have held orange juice not too long ago.

"He went to get some cough medicine." Marion said, sounding peevish.

"You're sick?" Mutt asked, trying not to appear worried.

"No, but he thinks I am. He's confined me to the bed until he gets back." Marion smiled a little. "He thinks I may be coming down with some awful disease."

"I thought it was just a headache." Mutt said accusingly. He was none too happy that his mother had probably just been trying to shoo him away last night by telling him it was a mild headache.

"Well, I had a little tickle in my throat today." Marion explained. "And you know your father. When it comes to family, he's _way_ too protective."

"Right." Mutt didn't agree with that, but he kept his mouth shut. _More like, when it comes to _you,_ he's too protective._

"You're going to be late for school, dear." Marion said, glancing at the clock on the night stand.

"I'm not going to leave you home alone, Mom. No." Mutt sat down on the carpeted floor defiantly.

"I'm not going to let_ you_ stay here, whether or not I'd be 'home alone'." Marion scowled. "You're not skipping school again."

"Just until Dad comes back." Mutt ran his comb through his bangs, slicking them back where they belonged.

"_He_'_s_ going to school after he brings back the medicine." Marion sat up.

"Stay there." Mutt commanded, standing. "Dad said to and I'm enforcing that."

"Make me." Marion stood up, wobbled a little and walked towards her son. "I'm just getting a glass of water, dear."

"Let me get it." Mutt offered. His eyes widened as his mother stumbled slightly and grabbed him for support. She looked up, slightly embarrassed. "Would you?" she asked, smirking.

"Here." Mutt took his mother's hand and led her back to the bed. "Now stay here. And eat your toast."

"Yes, Your Royal Majesty." Marion gave her son a tired smile as she snuggled under the covers and took a subdued bite of toast.

"I'll be right back." Mutt stepped out the door, and was going to go downstairs when he heard the bed creak slightly. He poked his head back into his parent's room. "No. Stay." He said, giving his mother an annoyed glare.

"That's right."

Mutt jumped, turning to see his father standing behind him. "You, however, need to get to school."

"I want to stay home today." Mutt said. He knew what the answer was already, but it was worth a try.

"No, Junior, _I'm_ going to. I can miss a day of work. There are subs. _You_ already have a lot of catching up to do." Indy scowled slightly. "Now go on."

"Oh yes?" Marion's voice called from the bedroom. "That's what _you_ think, buckaroo! You're _both_ going."

Indy gave Mutt a conspiratorial smirk. "We'll see about that." He muttered before entering the bedroom.

Mutt stood awkwardly waiting outside, not daring to enter, not wanting to leave.

"Mutt, come here, please." Marion called after a few minutes.

"You're going to go to school today. If I'm still sick tomorrow, you can stay home." Marion explained. "But today your father's staying."

"You mean Dad _won_ an argument!?" Mutt asked in mock amazement.

Marion scowled, crossing her arms.

"OK, fine." Mutt sighed, shrugging. "But I hope you _aren't_ sick tomorrow, much as I'd love to stay home."

"Thanks for that." Marion smirked and Indy handed her two pills.

"Now take these, for heaven's sake."

"Well… bye." Mutt exited the room, feeling slightly confused. Marion didn't _seem_ terribly ill, but his father was sure pampering her. He was staying home, after all. Mutt left the house and walked over to his motorcycle, putting on his driving gloves. Maybe they knew something they weren't telling him. Maybe his mother had symptoms that Indy recognized, that meant she had some horrible sickness. And he wasn't telling her?

No. It must just be a headache. And a sore throat. And dizzy spells. That was all. Mmhm.


	2. Chapter two, in which Mutt skips school

Mutt darted up the stairs two at a time and nearly ran into his father, who was on his way down. "Don't wake her." He said. Mutt stopped.

"Is she OK?"

"I think so." Indy shrugged, continuing down the stairs, a glass in his hand.

"You _think_ so?" Mutt turned around and followed Dr. Jones into the kitchen. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Keep your shirt on, Junior." Indy smiled a little. "How'd school go?"

"Does it matter?" Mutt removed a bottle of root beer from the refrigerator and took an annoyed swig.

"Yes, it does." Indy sat at the kitchen table, taking a chocolate from a bowl in the middle.

"It was OK." Mutt mumbled, sitting across from his father.

"She's OK." Indy returned, chewing thoughtfully. "She had an awful coughing spell about an hour ago, though."

"Mom's getting worse, isn't she?" Mutt took another half-hearted sip of root beer.

"I think so." Indy sighed. "There's not a lot we can do, except wait on her hand and foot."

"So I'm staying home tomorrow?" Mutt asked, brightening slightly.

Indy scowled. "I'm still not in complete agreement with your mother about that." He warned.

"You could teach me here at home." Mutt grumbled, sliding the soda bottle back and forth between his hands.

"Henry, I would, if I had the time. I really would." Dr. Jones let out a heavy sigh. "But every minute not devoted to teaching _other_ students is devoted to your mother. Right now, at any rate."

"I could help take care of Mom." Mutt insisted stubbornly. "That's what sons are for."

"Look, I know you're having a rough time of it at school, Henry," Indy said, standing. "But can't you at least _try_ to see things from my angle?"

"I am trying." Mutt stood too.

"I have to teach a bunch of flirtatious girls all morning and afternoon, then come home and take care of your sick mother." Indy stated flatly.

"You sound like Mom's just another burden to you." Mutt growled. "It's not _her_ fault she's not well."

"Look, kid," Dr. Jones glanced down at his watch. "I just don't have _time_ to teach you here at home."

"Not worth an hour out of your day, am I?" Mutt's left hand gripped the table tightly. His knuckles were turning white.

"I have to go back over to the school now, to help another teacher out with some files." Indy said, his voice sounding tired and disinterested. "We can argue another time, OK?"

"Fine." Mutt tried hard to keep his voice as calm as his father's, determined to match him. "I'll just care for my 'sick mother' while you're gone."

"That's a good man." Dr. Jones left the house without saying another word.

Mutt took the bottle of root beer, sipping slowly. He scowled, gagging in disgust before dumping the rest of it down the sink, feeling sick. All of a sudden, the taste of the soda didn't appeal to him. He doubted it ever would, after that. It tasted like Mutt felt at that moment. Miserably bitter.

************

After Mutt composed himself a little more, he tiptoed upstairs to check on his mother. He was surprised to find that she wasn't in bed. She was sitting at the desk, writing.

"Mom, you're supposed to be in bed." Mutt said, walking over to stand beside her. Her face was pale and she looked like she hadn't slept well the night before, but she smiled all the same.

"So Indy _wasn't_ talking to himself." She mused. "Glad you're home." She gave his arm a small squeeze.

Mutt didn't know why, but his eyes stung a little. "What are you doing? Who's the epistle for?." He tried again.

"The 'epistle' is explaining why you'll be staying home tomorrow." Marion said calmly.

"You mean, there's a way to make it sound like I have a good excuse?" Mutt asked, grinning. "I won't even get a detention?"

"No, dear." Marion looked up at her son's tired face. "Are you all right? You look as though you haven't slept a wink."

"I haven't." Mutt said, smirking. "And neither have you."

"Are you joking me!?" Marion asked, suddenly sounding angry. "I've done nothing _but_ sleep, all day. And I tell you, I am sick and tired of it!" She stood, wavered slightly and sat again.

"You're definitely sick, and I suspect you're tired too, Mom," Mutt agreed, giving her shoulder a pat, "so you really should go to bed."

"No. I've had more than enough sleep for now, thank you very much." His mother scowled up at him defiantly. "Do you realize how _boring_ it is to lie and bed and count the cracks in the ceiling?"

"Ah, Mom." Mutt smiled a little, glancing up at the aforementioned bore. "Why don't you let me read to you?"

"Because it's _my_ job to read to _you_, young man." Marion sighed, standing from the desk as she folded her letter to the school.

"Not when you're sick." Mutt insisted. "Now get to bed."

"Fine." Marion stepped slowly over to the king-size bed and curled up grudgingly.

"I'll be back in two seconds, with a story." Mutt exited the room and ran down the hallway to his father's library where he browsed for a few minutes before he found a book that looked even mildly interesting. _The Red Badge of Courage._ Mutt was a little worried that his mother would have already read it, but when he showed it to her she told him otherwise.

"I was going to read that at one point, but someone told me it was boring." She smiled. "That's encouraging, isn't it?"

"Well, I'll make it _unboring_." Mutt insisted. "If it means giving all the characters ridiculous voices that sound like chipmunks trapped in vacuum cleaners."

Marion let out a weak laugh which quickly turned into a cough. Mutt's comfortable smile changed just as swiftly into a look of worry. "Are you OK, Mom?"

"Yes, dear, go ahead. Read." She let out one more cough before settling back into her pillows.

"The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting." Mutt read determinedly. Marion closed her eyes, smiling still.

"As the landscape changed from brown to green, the army awakened," Mutt went on, but when he looked over he knew that his mother was already doing the opposite. She was breathing more deeply now and she made no response when he said her name.

"And then they went back to sleep." Mutt said, setting the book on the night stand. "Good night, Mom."

Marion mumbled something incoherent as her son pulled the covers up to her chin. "Love you." he said before tiptoeing to the door and switching off the light. "You'll be better in the morning." He said, though he sounded more like he was praying than comforting her.


	3. Chapter Three, in which Dr J gives in

Mutt lay awake most of that night, listening to his mother telling Indy that she was all right and didn't need 'that dang ice' on her 'dang face'.

When morning finally came, Mutt was extremely grateful that he would be staying home from school. He doubted he would have been able to stay awake for classes anyway.

"Henry?" Indy knocked on his son's door quietly.

"Yeah?" Mutt opened the door, gave a large yawn and stretched his exhausted arms.

"I've set out what you're going to be doing for school today. It's on the table downstairs." Dr. Jones gave him a hard stare. "I expect you to _do_ it."

"Yeah, OK." Mutt scowled a little. "Will today count as a school day?"

"Yes." Indy started to descend the stairway. "If you do well."

"Dad?"

Indy stopped walking.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Mutt hated to apologize, but he knew he needed to. After all, his dad wasn't _that_ bad. He had his moments, but he really was trying to do what was best for the family. Most of the time.

"It's OK, Junior." Indy started walking again, then called from the bottom of the stairs, "You can do your work upstairs if you want."

"All right." Mutt waited until his father left before heading downstairs to gather his books. _He must have picked up all my workbooks when he went back to school last night._ Mutt realized as he began stacking up the various books. Biology, History, Archaeology, Geometry, Geography and French. He'd gotten _everything._

"Mutt?" The teenager jumped as he heard his mother's voice from the top of the stairs.

"Mom, go to bed." Mutt said, coming up to meet her, books in hand.

"I'm feeling better-" Marion said just before she went into a minor coughing fit. When she'd finished she completed her sentence, "so I thought I'd get a spot of breakfast."

"Go to bed, Mom." Mutt repeated. "I'll get you something."  
"Well, here, let me take your books then." Marion reached out for them but Mutt held them out of reach. "Go on now." He said, scowling. She sighed but obeyed.

Mutt followed her into her room, set the books down on the night stand and exited to get some breakfast for her.

"If you bring me toast, I'm going to scream." Marion called after him.

"What do you _want_?" Mutt asked in annoyance.

"I think I'd like some apple slices." Marion decided, her voice sounding hoarse. "If that's not too much trouble."

"Sure." Mutt didn't know why anyone would want to eat _apple slices_ at this awful hour, but he decided to humor her. When he returned to the bedroom he had a plate of apple slices _and _toast in one hand and a glass of lemonade in the other.

"So, your father told you what we decided about school." Marion observed.

"That I get to stay home today and do it all here." Mutt shrugged. "Yeah."

"We talked about it a lot last night," Marion said, taking a nibble of a rather small apple slice, "and we decided we'd consider letting you learn here all the time."

Mutt looked up, amazed. "Why? How?"

"Don't act so surprised, Mutt." Marion smiled. "You're the one who should be telling _me_ how we can make it work. After all, it was your idea."

Mutt frowned, looking back down at his shoes. "Dad told you about our… discussion?"

Marion let out a small laugh. "You're so funny, Mutt."

Mutt scowled harder, glaring at the carpet.

"We're not sure how it'll work, ourselves." Marion admitted, taking a tiny bite of apple. She sure was rationing those things well.

"But my studying today won't count, will it?"

"Well, in my 'epistle', I said that you were taking a sick day today." Marion explained. "I just failed to mention who was sick."

"You lied." Mutt said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"No, I just didn't tell the truth." Marion took a small sip of lemonade from her glass on the night stand.

"So this is just homework?"

"Yes." Marion continued. "But if we're going to school you here all the time, we need to get a special set of books."

"Just for losers who drop out of school?" Mutt smirked, taking a piece of apple from his mother's plate. She scowled but didn't address him about it. "No. Just for the _smart_ ones, who want to learn from their parents." She corrected.

"Dad really said it was OK?" Mutt questioned, pulling out his comb and preparing to run it through his hair. His mother snatched it away.

"You've got to stop that, Mutt." She said apologetically. "It's too much of an obsession."

"Did he say it was OK?" Mutt asked again, eyeing his comb.

"Mutt, this isn't a promise." Marion said carefully. "We're just going to try it for a while. Maybe."

"What's the 'maybe' for?" Mutt asked suspiciously.

"If you go to school tomorrow and do well-"

"That's it? That's the only condition?" Mutt couldn't believe it.

"_And_ next week when we have our home school trial week, you act with maturity and respect." Marion continued.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your father will be doing most of the teaching, since he's the qualified one here." Marion explained. "You'll need to listen to what he says and try your best to please him."

"He'll be teaching me?" Mutt asked warily.

"We both will, but mostly your father." Marion said calmly.

"Will you need to buy me new books?" Mutt asked suspiciously.

"Well… yes."

"So Dad really said it was OK to spend the money needed for new curriculum, just to humor me?" Mutt wasn't buying it.

"We want you to do your best and to learn everything you can." Marion sighed. "If that means dropping the social benefits of school, so be it."

"So you're letting me quit school?" Mutt couldn't _believe_ this. "You _want_ me to quit?"

"We'll see. It's _not_ a promise. We just need to know how important it is to you, and if that makes it important enough to us to let you quit." Marion smiled a little. "If that makes any sense."

Mutt jumped forward, hugging his mother, who let out a surprised gasp. "It makes _total sense_!" Mutt grinned, releasing her.

"I can't guarantee that this will work." Marion warned.

"That's OK, if it doesn't, it won't matter much. I just want to fix bikes." Mutt shrugged, sitting back down.

Marion scowled. "We'll see about that." Was all she said. Mutt could tell she wasn't very fond of that idea.

"Dad really said it was OK?" Mutt asked, looking up from his biology book about half an hour later.

"We will try it for one week. That's not an 'OK' to quit school."

"Why did he give at all?"

"He knows you hate school." Marion took another bite of apple. "And he wants to see you happy."

"So he gave in?" Mutt didn't believe that was why he was allowing this. Not for one minute.

"Don't phrase it that way when he's around." Marion warned. "It won't help your case."

"OK." Mutt decided to drop the discussion in favor of homework. Maybe his father really was just trying to make a pact with him. Mutt was very glad, suddenly, that he had decided to apologize to Indy. He knew that his father would _not_ be so enthusiastic about teaching Mutt if he didn't even appear to be thankful about it. And sorry for blowing up at him.

"Just play it cool." He muttered.

"Hm?" Marion looked up from her son's geography book, which she was reading half-heartedly.

"Nothing."


End file.
